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Transcript of Alison James eMagazine
August 2010
MONTHLY JOURNAL OF
Allison James ® Inc.
Agents Speaks Out! "Ahead of his time! On the cutting edge! A true Pio-neer! Jim has forged ahead and has created one of the best and innovative Real Estate Companies in the nation. Brick and Mortar companies are fast becom-ing a thing of the past. With 100% commission for the agents Allison James Estates & Homes is growing in leaps and bounds. He has created a great environ-ment for agents to practice their business!" Wayne Goss, Realtor Alli-son James Estates & Homes. Florida "I have only been doing this since 2004 and I realized that the internet has changed this business dra-matically in the last 3 years. Any realtor who does not keep up with the technology will go the way of the dinosaur. I appreciate and believe in the Allison James model and can’t for the life of me understand how the fran-chises keep any real-tors. Your ability to recog-nize the inevitable changes that will occur keep you a step ahead. That is impres-sive to me and that is why all those hot shots keep calling you. My guess is your detractors just hate it because you are right! Debbie Saunders, Realtor Allison James Estates & Homes. Florida
DID THE BOTTOM FALL OUT AGAIN? Written by James A. Crumbaugh III CEO
How many times, and from how many people have you heard the following saying? “ Real Estate is Lo-cal”.
I hate to burst everyone’s bubble but Real Estate is more national and even global than it is local any-more, due to today’s technology. Yes, there are still local factors at play, but more and more, like every-thing else in life, and with today’s technology, Real Estate is becoming Global.
I’m sitting in a very unique spot when it comes to the National Real Estate Market. I’m still a young company and a small enough company that I’m hands on, every day of the week including week-ends.
Our company is a National company operating on the West Coast, the East Coast, the Midwest, Texas and Arizona. Every single sale everyday of the week that is made under our banner is required to come across my desk, and I must sign off on those sales.
I’m a report “freak”… ask my staff! I drive them crazy! I require dozens and dozens of reports. I look for signs of early trends in these reports. This obses-sion served me well almost 5 years ago when I sold my Prudential franchises at the very height of the market. I saw the meltdown coming that we in the industry have dealt with for the past four years.
I don’t want to alarm anyone but I spotted something last week that has me a bit concerned. I’m hoping it was just a blurb on the radar screen, but if the trends continue for another two or three weeks, then I’m going to sound the alarm.
First let me say that for months now we have aver-aged between 55 and 60 sales per week with our high being 75 sales in a week. So I have an estab-lished base line to refer too. Early last week I re-ceived a call from my Texas state Broker asking me if I felt it. When I ask him what he was referring too, he said it feels like a faucet has been turned off.
He went on to say the phones died and the Real Estate business just shut down. I thought to myself, maybe it’s time that Texas went through a slow period.
However, I then received the same call from one of our stock holders, who is a Realtor in California. Then the same calls started coming from the East Coast states. My concern escalated on Friday afternoon when we only had 34 sales for the week.
Our government hadn’t done anything unusually stupid in the past week or at least not anything more stupid than usual, so I didn’t think Washington caused the slowdown last week. My gut feeling is what I have been writing about for a few months now has come home to roost.
The slowdown is not a meltdown. It’s a PAUSE. I believe the pause we are seeing in the Real Estate industry, we will start to see in all sectors of our economy over the next two months.
Our country is in a sour mood. I don’t think anyone would disagree with me. From my Republican friends, to my Tea Party friends, to my far left friends to my Blue Dog Dem-ocrat Brother, they are all very concerned with the debt of our country and as a result I think everyone has put every-thing on hold, till they see what happens with the election in November. For all us to agree on getting the National Debt under control is a good thing considering my Blue Dog Democrat brother would rather drink a cup of battery acid than vote for a Republican, and my Far Left friend has never met a conspiracy that he didn’t like.
My personal opinion, is the very best thing that can hap-pen to this country, is for the different branches of govern-ment to be controlled by the different parties. I believe in the division of power. So if the Republicans win the house, we will have a lame duck Presidency for the next two years.
This will result in no new spending bills being passed and as a result the American people will start having faith in our country again - and they will start discretionary spend-ing again. I don’t care if you’re a Blue Dog Democrat, a Socialist or a Far Right Republican; if we don’t get our government spending under control we will never again have a healthy economy.
Estates News Did the Bottom Fall Out Again P.1
Success in Real Estate P.2
Against the Grain P.4
Meet Our New Illinois Broker P.6
Perfect Storm P.6
Hoist the Storm Jib P.7
Make Your Website Great! P.8
When Words Are Not Enough P.10
IDX and Your Website P.11
I S S U E
15 "The Greenest Real Estate Brokerage in the World"
Success requires planning.
Old news.
"Not having a plan is
planning to fail."
Do you have a business plan for
your real estate business?
Success in Real Estate Re-quires more than HOPE By Saul Klein ePRO/GRI/CFP
I have watched many struggle through
this latest recession and real estate
downturn, and I am reminded of what
has always followed downturns in the
past…upturns. I have heard many real
estate professionals over my 35 years in
this industry; as a broker, office manag-
er, investor and educator, pray to be
granted "one more boom." So many
agents and brokers in the industry fail to
take advantage of the "good times" and
only come to the realization that they
missed those good times after they are
over. So have faith, the market will turn.
That is not in question. What is in ques-
tion is will you be ready to take ad-
vantage of the next swing up, for your-
self and for your clients?
What makes me so confident that the
good times are coming? History. Histori-
cally, real estate downturns lead reces-
sions and lag behind in recovery (Real
Estate and Business Cycles by Fred E.
Foldvary. I have personally experienced
this a number of times as a real estate
broker. One of the most memorable was
in the early 1980's. We had a "Savings
and Loan Crisis," The government creat-
ed the RTC (Resolution Trust Corpora-
tion), and folded one Savings and Loan
into another…taking over massive
amounts of properties and managing (or
mismanaging) and disposing of them.
The conventional wisdom at the time
was that interest rates would never go
below 10% again and that real estate
was grossly overpriced and only fools
would dare to buy.
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And then take it up a notch
Once you've moved beyond the
basics, you can learn just how versa-
tile a Point2 Agent real estate web-
site can be - you can remove default
content and create an incredibly
unique site with completely custom
elements (Professional and Premium
members), you can keep in touch
with comprehensive statistics, and
you can include just about any web-
site element you can think of.
Don't just attract visitors;
attract clients
Your free Point2 Agent site includes
a suite of prospecting features that
give your visitors the information and
tools they're looking for (listing notifi-
cation emails, mortgage calculators,
and many more).
In exchange, these tools are built to
encourage prospect generation.
Plan “C” ?
Order your powerful, professionally
designed Allison James Website to grab
the attention of any visitors.
Most people now wish that they had
purchased more real estate in the
1980s and held on to it through a few
up turns since then. While we may
not be at the bottom of the market
yet, we are more likely than not,
close to the bottom…taking into
account geographic differences, in
some areas, we may be at the bot-
tom. Now is the time for many to
buy…low prices, motivated
(desperate) sellers, historically low
long term interest rates, and for first
time homebuyers, an $8,000 bonus
from "Uncle Sam."
Not convinced? Let's examine the
record. Tracking of business cycles
began in the 1800s and there have
been close to 30 measured cycles
since the measuring and recording
began. As sure as I have lived
through downturns in the economy, I
expect an upturn. I can't tell you
when, but I am confident it will hap-
pen. Will you be ready for it?
Success requires planning. Old
news. "Not having a plan is planning
to fail." Do you have a business plan
for your real estate business? Does it
contain the essential elements such
as a Sales Plan, a Technology Plan,
a Marketing Plan, a Website Plan
and a Budget? If not, your plan for
success is, not uncommon unfortu-
nately in this business, HOPE. HOPE
is not a conscious choice, but absent
real planning, it is the default
choice…the choice you made by not
planning.
For many REALTORS®, they:
HOPE they will succeed
HOPE they'll get a listing
HOPE the buyer will make an offer
HOPE their sales skills will improve
HOPE their website is visited and gen-
erates leads
HOPE they close enough sales to pay
the bills this month
While HOPE has its place, it is too pas-
sive a way to approach an aggressive,
competitive business. Deliberate plan-
ning, discipline and commitment are
essential elements for anyone who
wants more out of a real estate career
than a few sales a year…and yet many
whom you meet in the business cannot
articulate anything close to a systematic
approach to selling.
Real estate is a sales business, and
sales is all about numbers, ratios, and
percentages. What systems and meth-
ods do you have in place that will allow
you to improve your efforts and your
results, week after week, month after
month, year after year?
Recipe of the Month
Sweet BBQ Sauce AJI Corporate
A sweet Memphis Barbecue Sauce Recipe, oh boy is it sweet. Feel free to try it on bbq pork and try chicken as well.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion finely chopped
2 red chili seeded and chopped
500ml or 1 1/2 cups ketchup
3 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons English mustard (ready mixed, not powdered)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Juice of a lemon
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Method:
Heat a saucepan, melt the butter and throw in the onions and chillies for about 3-4 mins until the onions turn translucent.
Then simply throw in the rest of the ingredients, simmer for about 10 minutes and you’re ready to go.
Have you remembered to light your barbecue? Well, what are you wait-ing for?
Meet Some of Our Fabulous Agents
Agata Bulanda Debbie Lewis Melissa Birch Jessica Lucarini
Dennis Gardner Carol Farrar Greg Cocca Rodolfo Casillas
Here are a few HOPEFULLY helpful
hints:
1. Create a business plan that is
specific…specificity is the key to exe-
cution. Begin with your annual goals
and break it down into the daily tasks
required to get you to where you want
to be at the end of the year.
2. Create a Sales Plan - How many
contacts are required for each closing?
If you are unaware of this personal
statistic, you should begin to determine
just what it is for you, and then, what
you can do to improve on it. Contacts
Create Contracts, so set about creating
a plan that will maximize the number of
contacts and the number of communi-
cations with each.
3. Create a Technology Plan that is
consistent with your Business Plan.
Be sure to establish a budget and a
timeline for the integration of the tech-
nology into your daily practice.
4. Create a comprehensive, integrat-
ed Marketing Plan that includes con-
ventional marketing and is tied to your
internet marketing.
5. Create a Website Plan that takes
advantage of the marketing power of
your listings. A listing is a marketing
asset and can be used to bring you
buyers as well as other listings. Offered
through Allison James is the Point2
Technologies Web Solution which is the
best the industry has to offer, take ad-
vantage of it.
6. Be Found. Create profiles on social
networking sites such as Facebook
and MySpace. Use the power of the
Internet to connect and reconnect you
with people…"Contacts Create Con-
tracts."
7. Take the new NAR Web 2.0 & So-
cial Media Course for REALTORS®
online course and begin the transition to
a consumer population of Gen X and
Gen Y buyers and sellers .
8. Differentiate yourself from the
competition. Your choice is "Be Differ-
ent or Charge Less."
9. Become an e-PRO® and join a re-
source and referral network 40,000
strong.
10. Take advantage of NAR's Program
Right Tools/Right Now. Amazing tools
and values for discounts and even for
free. Check it out.
I HOPE this has been helpful.
Saul is CEO of InternetCrusade as well
as Point2 Technologies..
Against the Grain by James A. Crumbaugh III CEO
I’m going to go out on a limb for a
moment and make a prediction as to
where I see the Real Estate market
over the course of the next two years.
Of course all of this depends on our
country avoiding slipping into that
deep dark hole of a second recession.
I have been writing about a shortage
of inventory and sharing my thoughts
on this subject for years; and now we
are starting to see the first signs of a
severe shortage of resale inventory in
this country. We have not seen any
significant building of new housing
units in almost four years.
As a result in most areas, except in
some areas of the rust belt, we are
seeing inventory levels of 8 months or
less. Once we drop below 6 months of
inventory it becomes a neutral market.
Not a buyer’s market nor a seller’s
market, but a neutral market.
Then once we drop down to a three
month inventory, it becomes a seller’s
market. Since I don’t see any signifi-
cant building on the near horizon to
help deal with this shortage of invento-
ry, and the fact that once a builder
decides to get back in the market and
starts building again, you are faced
with almost a two years lapse between
deciding to build, and having a product
to sell. Consequently, we are going to
see a severe shortage of inventory
before everything turns around.
I know that the Real Estate market
has taken another hit just recently with
the slowdown of sales, but I can’t
imagine it lasting very long. I’m hear-
ing from our Realtors across the coun-
try that sales are off again by 20%,
but as soon as the consumer and
small businessman has confidence in
our country and economy again, I
believe things will turn around fairly
rapidly. The turnaround may start in
November of this year or it may take
till 2012, but it will happen.
I hate to get into politics, but my ob-
servation is that the country’s eco-
nomic condition will not change for the
better until everyone comes together,
Republican, Independent, Democrat,
Tea Party, etc. And makes getting the
deficit under control the number one
priority.
The debt is killing this country just like
debt kills a business. I know the next
statement will probably be unpopular
with 40% of the populace, but as a
small businessman
I can state that the tax burden that
faces the small business man due to
the unknown of the national debt and
Health care scares us to death. That’s
just a fact of life. As a result I believe
that the country will remain in the
doldrums till the beginning of 2011 or
even until 2013. If by chance we slip
back into a double dip recession, you
can be sure that we will suffer for
years to come.
However my glass is always ¾ full
and I believe if we end up with the
different branches of government
being controlled by the different
parties come November ( which I
believe is always a good thing) then
new spending bills will cease to
exist.
No matter what party you belong too
this has to happen to get this coun-
try back on a financially solid foot-
ing. Then I believe confidence will
start to build in our country again.
With all that said, once we finally get
the inventory down to three months
in this country, and with the lack of
any new inventory, I believe we will
see Real Estate prices escalate
rapidly, once the American public
has faith in our economic system
again. I’m sure many will disagree
with me, but my glass is always ¾
full.
I hope I’m right because our compa-
ny is betting on my predictions.
We’re expanding and looking for
other Real Estate brokerages to
acquire. So in a very short period of
time we will learn if I’m a genius or
an idiot.
James A. Crumbaugh III is CEO of
Allison James Estates and Homes
and may be reached at
“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney
AJI Green Corner
Energy Mortgage Information
There is an emerging market force
towards energy efficient homes.
From Florida to Alaska mortgage
lenders are increasingly using ener-
gy mortgages to make homes more
affordable and poising their compa-
nies to capture this new market
trend.
What is an Energy Mortgage?
An energy mortgage is a mortgage
that credits a home's energy efficien-
cy in the home loan. For an energy
efficient home, for example, it could
mean giving the home buyer the
ability to buy a higher quality home
because of the lower monthly costs
of heating and cooling the home. For
homes in which the energy efficiency
can be improved, this concept allows
the money saved in monthly utility
bills to finance energy improve-
ments.
There are Two Types of Energy
Mortgages:
Energy Improvement Mortgage -
Finances the energy upgrades of an
existing home in the mortgage loan
using monthly energy savings.
Energy Efficient Mortgage - Uses the
energy savings from a new energy
efficient home to increase the home
buying power of consumers and
capitalizes the energy savings in the
appraisal.
Allison James Estates & Homes Business Model The Allison James Estates and Homes business model is ideal for Europe, since many Realtors in Europe do not work from an of-fice. If you have a contact anywhere in Europe that you feel would be of benefit to Allison James Estates and Homes, please have them contact James A. Crumbaugh III CEO at [email protected]
C.A.R. Reports May 2010 Me-dian Price Increased 23.2 Per-cent; Home Sales Increased
1.2 Percent www.car.org
Home sales increased 1.2% in May
2010 in California compared with the
same period a year ago, while the
median price of an existing home rose
23.2%, the California Association of
Realtors® (C.A.R.) recently reported.
“Home sales posted their third largest
increase on record for May, due in
part to first-time home buyers who
timed the open and close of escrow in
order to capitalize on both the federal
and state tax credits,” said C.A.R.
President Steve Goddard.
“May also marked the fifth month of
double-digit gains in the median price,
indicative of strong buyer demand
relative to the supply of homes for
sale. With a 4.6-month supply of
homes for sale, unsold inventory con-
tinues to be well below the long-run
average of seven months, and will
continue to drive price appreciation
over the next several months.”
Closed escrow sales of existing, single-
family detached homes in California
totaled 552,800 in May at a seasonally
adjusted annualized rate, according to
information collected by C.A.R. from
more than 90 local Realtor associations
statewide. Statewide home resale activi-
ty increased 1.2% from the revised
546,490 sales pace recorded in May
2009. Sales in May 2010 increased
14.1% compared with the previous
month.
The statewide sales figure represents
what the total number of homes sold
during 2010 would be if sales main-
tained the May pace throughout the
year. It is adjusted to account for sea-
sonal factors that typically influence
home sales.
The median price of an existing, single-
family detached home in California dur-
ing May 2010 was $324,430, a 23.2%
increase from the revised $263,440
median for May 2009, C.A.R. reported.
The May 2010 median price increased
5.9% compared with April’s $306,230
median price. “The number of escrows
opened in May fell 16.9% compared with
April.
This was consistent with our expectation
that activity may decline once the federal
tax credit deadline had passed, “said
C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist
Leslie Appleton-Young. “Although there
may be a lessening of demand compared
with the first half of this year, the number of
escrows opened on a year-to-date basis is
about the same as last year, and sales for
all of 2010 will be on a par or slightly below
last year.”
Highlights of C.A.R.’s resale housing
figures for May 2010:
- C.A.R.’s Unsold Inventory Index for exist-
ing, single-family detached homes in May
2010 was 4.6 months, unchanged from the
same period a year ago. The index indi-
cates the number of months needed to
deplete the supply of homes on the market
at the current sales rate.
- Thirty-year fixed-mortgage interest rates
averaged 4.89% during May 2010, com-
pared with 4.86% in May 2009, according
to Freddie Mac. Adjustable-mortgage inter-
est rates averaged 4.01% in May 2010,
compared with 4.75% in May 2009.
- The median number of days it took to sell
a single-family home was 39.8 days in May
2010, compared with 52.4 days (revised)
for the same period a year ago.
AJI Green Corner (cont.)
Increases Purchasing Power
The ability to leverage a home buy-
er's investment in energy efficiency
increases the number of qualified
home buyers and increases the
purchasing power of the consumer.
A recent analysis by the Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA)
confirmed that energy efficient mort-
gages can have a dramatic impact
on increasing the opportunities for
home ownership. The analysis
found that an average of 6.8% more
families would be able to qualify for
a mortgage through an energy effi-
cient mortgage.
Increases Market Value of Homes
Another study published in the Ap-
praisal Journal documented that the
market value of a home increases
$20 for every $1 decrease in the
annual energy costs. According to a
recent analysis by the Pacific North-
west National Laboratory building a
home to exceed the Model Energy
Code would result in an annual
savings of $170 to $425. Applying
these findings to the analysis pub-
lished in the Appraisal Journal
would equate to an increased home
market value of between $4,250 to
$10,625.
FHA Energy Mortgage Program
Summary of Program Example of FHA Energy Mortgage HUD/FHA Energy Mortgage Guidelines
New Illinois State Broker By Dave Eisley
David Eisley’s experience and background
have allowed him to impact the growth,
development and potential of others. Over
the last 15 years, he has led many different
endeavors; from "corporate Ameri-
ca" (management, sales, and training) to
multiple entrepreneurial start-ups (real
estate, fitness and rehabilitation centers).
Eisley started his real estate career in
2004 in Brielle, N.J., and became a multi-
million dollar sales producer his first
year. Previously, he was owner of Power
Station Fitness Center in Browns Mills,
N.J. Earlier, Eisley spent six years as the
Branch Manager for Texas-based Allied
Electronics, a global distributor of electron-
ic components, where he was ranked No.
5 of more than 400 sales representatives
nationally.
He came to the Chicago area as Director
of Regional Development in 2005 to bring
a large, yet unknown, national franchise to
the area. After opening twelve offices in
an eighteen month span, he was appointed
Director of Agent Development for a re-
gional affiliate in 2007, and brought 48
sales agents into the company in less than
two years. Currently, Eisley is the Director
of Inside Sales, Recruiting, and Sales
Training Content for a medical supply
distributor, where he has created an online
sales training university, created a new
sales department, and helped expand the
company into 25 states.
Eisley graduated Cum Laude from the New
York Institute of Technology and has done
freelance work in radio broadcasting, video
editing, and sports writing. He enjoys
living in Illinois with his wife, Donna, chil-
dren, Ryan, Colin, and Aidan, and over-
weight beagle, Rocky.
David Eisley, Allison James Estates &
Homes - Illinois State Broker
Interesting News
Interesting real estate news! San Diego home prices increased 12.4% in May from a year ago and San Diego was the only metro area in the country with 13 months of consecutive increases in home prices.
San Diego’s increase was the 2nd highest of the 20 metro areas surveyed, with San Francisco taking the top spot with an 18.3 percent increase.
If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's we'd grab our own and be happy.
The Perfect Storm by James A. Crumbaugh III CEO
I believe that the perfect storm has as-saulted the Real Estate Industry over the last 3 years. The perfect storm is a combination of the horrid economic conditions in this country, the worst Real Estate market in 80 years and the rapid advance of technology.
Together these conditions have altered the Real Estate Industry landscape so dramatically that most of us haven’t experienced such change in our Real Estate lifetime.
I’m fortunate enough to have the ability to speak often, with some of the greatest leaders in our industry. Just today I had a conversation with one of these individ-uals, and he agrees that massive chang-es are staring us in the face.
We all know that sales have been so poor in the last three years, that the Realtors and Brokers who have sur-vived, have had to tighten their belts and make do on less income and less sales.
Then you throw in all the technological changes, and it has dramatically changed our landscape. It use to be that when a buyer came into an area to buy a home, they sought out a well known and trusted brand.
They had no ability to find a property for sale via the internet so they had to put their trust in a Realtor. So in most cases they choose a well known and trusted brand.
No longer is there a need to seek out an
office of a well known and trusted brand.
Then you throw in what the Broker use to
mean to the Realtor, and how that has
changed.
Now we are starting to see the trend that
has so dramatically, in such a short time,
created a paradigm shift in our industry.
I relate it to when the jet engine changed
the aviation industry. It’s been that dra-
matic. I know I have written about this in
the past, but I can’t stress it enough.
Many of my friends are Realtors, Bro-
kers, and owners of Real Estate Broker-
ages and I have the upmost respect for
them, and I wonder how this will all turn
out.
I’m not discussing the brand new Realtor
in this article. I’m talking about the Pro-
fessional Realtors. Those Realtors that
have been in the business for 5 years or
more, the Realtors that still do a mini-
mum of one sale a month in this environ-
ment. The Realtor that puts ethics above
all else and lives by the Golden Rule.
It is those Realtors that are now asking
for and receiving 100% of their commis-
sions, because they aren’t dependent
upon the Broker to generate business
for them. They have their own leads,
their own following, their own computer,
We are seeing these Realtors using
the extra income that they are putting
in their pockets to market more, and
in some cases they are even opening
their own offices.
We have seen many Realtor Teams
that love having their own suite of
offices. These offices are
their office and not the
Brokers office, and they
like that feeling of inde-
pendence. A true Inde-
pendent Contractor.
We are also seeing the
Realtor that’s happy to
meet their clients at Star-
bucks, Hilton and multiple
other locations because
most of their clients are
referrals from past clients.
If you use the 80/20 rule that we all
use in this industry to determine who
the top producing Realtors are. That
means we have over 200,000 Real-
tors that fall into this category. They
are also the same Realtors that the
Brokerages count on to deliver
$20,000 to $60,000 a year to their
bottom line.
What happens to a Brokerage when
all these top Producers decide they
want to keep 100%?
James A. Crumbaugh III is CEO of
Allison James Estates and Homes
and may be reached at
Hoist The Storm Jib by James A. Crumbaugh III CEO
The Perfect Storm descended upon our industry a little over 3 years ago, and still continues to rage, although to a lesser degree. The waters are still turbulent.
However at Allison James Estates and Homes we have the storm jib deployed, the jack lines secured, our foul weather gear on and we’re sail-ing through the storm.
This is what every Realtor and every brokerage that has survived for the past three years has done. They’ve battened down the hatches and plowed through those turbulent wa-ters. There are times when you have to sail into the wind. My wife and I had to sail into the wind one night in 1996, 100 miles off the coast of Baja Mexico in 35 knot winds. Those are the times in life that you man up and survive, or give up.
I’m seeing a lot of people give up right now. Not just in our industry but in spirit and with their goals. Some of these people surprise me that they have given up. At one point they were confident, strong and successful people, and they have been reduced to frail, whining shadows of their for-mer selves. I feel for them, but they have to stand on their own two feet.
With that said I’ll address what these individuals in our industry need to do to get back on their feet, regain their confidence and survive the storm.
First: Quit blaming everyone else. This
includes the government, the industry,
the banks not lending, everyone. You
can’t change those things. What you
can change is yourself. If I can give
some overly simplistic advice, go buy
the book “Think And Grow Rich” by
Napoleon Hill and read it. Recently I
had a good friend ask me if I had ever
read it. I shared with that friend that not
only had I read it, but I carried it in my
briefcase for probably 20 years and
read it almost daily till it finally just fell
apart.
I implemented those teachings into my
life and to this day I am a very strong
goal setter. Every day I look at my
goals; several times a day. I have pic-
tures of my goals, my passwords reflect
my goals. If nothing else try this. Con-
firm to yourself several times a day that
you are successful and you will achieve
your goals.
Two: Get back to the basics. As many
of you know I’m a big Social Media guy
but Social Media is just another tool. It
won’t change your life without the ba-
sics. The basics in our industry have
always been to go out and secure list-
ings. Go out in your neighborhood like
we used to. Bring that smile you get
from reading “Think And Grow Rich” to
every door. I think everyone in the coun-
try right now has a sour attitude. What a
pleasant surprise you’ll be to your
neighbors when they find a hopeful and
positive Realtor.
Three: Make 10 WHO DO calls a day to your
sphere of influence. A WHO DO call is when
you speak to someone about Real Estate
you ask WHO DO YOU KNOW that may
want to buy or sell Real Estate. As I taught
my Realtors over the years, 10 WHO DO’s a
day will make you successful, 20 WHO DO’s
a day will make you wealthy.
I know these ideas will be laughed at by
many, because we are so much more so-
phisticated today. But you know what? We
do these things at the corporate office of
Allison James Estates and Homes every day
and in the last 2 ½ years since we opened
our doors we have grown from just myself to
a presence in 11 states with two new states
about to open, and have recruited over 400
Realtors while most other companies have
shrunk or disappeared.
Positive and simple has made us successful.
James A. Crumbaugh III is CEO of Allison
James Estates and Homes and may be
reached at [email protected]
Agent Speaks Out!
I thank You for all your help and being
there, you always are. I was becoming
increasingly frustrated with technology
changes and especially with the
eNeighborhoods website. I found my
niche yesterday.
All these so called "Realtor websites"
are great, necessary and functional but
they are loosing ground with lead gen-
eration which lead me to wonder, is
technology changing faster than we
can actually keep up? It is! Staying
on top of a site weekly with some minor
changes and good information helps by
keeping the site out there, I found
yesterday that it's really simple (I found
a fantastic contact who is helping me
build a site), makes sense to me now.
I also did a quick survey yesterday with
whom better than my clients, past
clients, friends and acquaintances who
are tech savvy individuals and received
a wealth of information back, it was
perfect and what I needed. With what I
know now from this information I re-
ceived yesterday I also know what to
do to stay ahead of the game. Which
will prevail in generating more sales
and more cash flow. Have learned so
much this past year with websites and
the Internet as frustrating as it was.
The generic websites and the 3rd party
IDX company's have not served me
well and now I know. Some sites are
fabulous but can be too cumbersome in
the setup or with details that the con-
sumer is not interested in. Simplicity
and information are the key factors and
how it is gotten out there in the cyber
world.
I prefer to be of help to everyone not a
burden. I love my work and will love it
once more when I can get back to
generating that website traffic and cash
flow. Will promote AJ more and have
ideas for anyone coming aboard and
more money to brand and promote
myself, AJ and agents who come
aboard. That will make all of us happy
and therefore helpful in every sense of
the word.
Debbie Faremouth, Associate Broker,
Allison James Estates & Homes
Where America's Rich are Moving
By Forbes.com
Surprise: America's wealthy like
warm weather and low taxes.
That's the takeaway from Internal
Revenue Service data, analyzed by
Forbes, on the counties the rich are
moving to in the biggest numbers.
Topping the list:
Collier County, Fla., which includes
the city of Naples. Tax returns ac-
counting for 15,150 people showed
moves to Collier County from other
parts of the country in 2008, the
latest year for which IRS data are
available. Their average reported
income: $76,161 per person, equiva-
lent to $304,644 for a family of four.
Although slightly more taxpayers
moved out of Collier County than into
it, the departing residents' average
income came out to just $26,128 per
person.
Households that moved to Collier
County principally came from other
parts of Florida, with Lee, Miami-
Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and
Orange counties leading the list. Big
Northern cities also sent lots of trans-
plants: Cook County, Ill. (home to
Chicago); Oakland County, Mich.
(near Detroit); and Suffolk County,
N.Y. (on Long Island), each sent
more than 100 people to Collier
County during 2008.
In second place is Greene County,
Ga., with a population of just 15,743
at the Census Bureau's last esti-
mate. The IRS data show that in
2008, 788 people moved to the
county, about 75 miles east of Atlan-
ta.
Make Your Site Great! By Bill Hogan
Allison James Estates & Homes
Let’s put everything in perspective, in
the United States there are over 240
Million Internet users. A recent study
shows that 85% of home buyers use
the Internet at some point during
their home search. The percentage
of Internet savvy customers will likely
increase in the future; making it
essential that your online presence
stands out. It is important to give
these Internet savvy customers a
reason to do business with you.
Your website will likely be the first
thing that you are judged by.
Leaving a good first impression
means having a Web site that is
easy to navigate, provides an up-to-
date home search, looks profession-
al, and helps your prospects achieve
their goals. Most sites are full of
useful and not so useful information;
unfortunately the useful information
is buried and not easily found.
Today’s online consumers want what
they are looking for now! If they
can’t find what they are searching for
in a few seconds they continue their
search on another site that will pro-
vide the information quickly. Want a
great Realtor’s Website? Follow the
guidelines below:
10 Features of a great Web site
1. Market your Website: What
good is having a great website if
no one knows it exists? Most
Realtors target a specific geo-
graphical area(s) in which to oper-
ate (e.g. San Diego Ocean Beach
Real Estate, San Diego La Jolla
Real Estate, etc…). It makes
logical sense to target your search
engine keywords to blanket this
market. This way you avoid
competing against large national
firms who have broad national
keywords and increases the odds
of your website being displayed
on the first page. Use good ole’
fashion marketing by branding
your Website on your Business
Cards, For Sale Signs, Letter-
head, Advertisements, and as part
of your Email Signature.
2. Searchable listings: Let’s face it,
buyers want to see properties. It is
important that visitors are able to
find the “search property button
immediately” so they can start their
search without the hassle of filling
out a form. The output should be
both attractive and informative.
Most boards have reasonably
priced framing solutions that a
realtor can use. These board
provided solutions are improving
daily. However, third party solu-
tions (e.g. Realtor.com, MLSFinder,
IHomeFinder, etc..) deliver the
most features and flexibility. Do
not purchase a third party solution
that does not allow you to frame
and color the content to match your
Website’s appearance.
3. Lots of property photos and
descriptions: Do not skimp on
photographs and detailed property
information for your properties. Go
the extra mile for your listings. A
recent NAR survey confirmed that
these items are the two most valua-
ble Website features for both buy-
ers and sellers.
4. Customer comes first: Your
website needs to communicate
directly to your prospects. You
need to provide a reason to stay,
surf and to choose your services.
Searchable listings certainly will
provide a reason to use your web-
site, but you must communicate
why they should hire you. Your
Website needs to convey a profes-
sional attitude toward real estate.
No miscellaneous links and content
that is not customer-centric. The
sole purpose is to demonstrate
your services, knowledge of the
market, and professionalism.
5. Make their life easier: Wouldn’t it
be great if your Internet prospects
could let you know exactly the type
of home (through pictures) they are
looking for? Not just the price
range, but the home style, neigh-
bor, proximately to schools, shop-
ping, yard style, etc… The more
information you obtain on their
requirements, their likes and dis-
likes, the more successful you will
be at finding their dream home
quickly and professionally.
6. Simplicity: The KISS (Keep It Simple
Silly) Principle should be the motto of
your website design. If it doesn’t
promote your business, it doesn’t
belong. Robust content does not help
the causal real estate surfer.
7. Organization. Internet browsers
demand simplicity for their time. They
want information at their fingertips
immediately. Your navigation needs
to be simple, clean, organized and
limited. Make sure your links show up
on all pages and are obvious.
8. Make it easy to contact you: Include
your contact phone number and an e-
mail link on every page of your Web-
site. Include attractive fillable forms so
your prospects can communicate a lot
of information quickly and easily from
your Website. 48 hours should be
your maximum response time and if
possible you should try to reply in a
few hours.
9. Show off the neighborhood: Pro-
vide a reason to move your area.
Prospects that are unfamiliar with the
area that you service might be enticed
by pictures of the attractions, commu-
nity, and lifestyle. Once enticed, they
are inclined to select an agent (you)
that is familiar and understands the
area they are moving too.
10.Short, concise copy. Not only
should your site be simple, but it
should be served in easily digestible
bites of information. Bullet points and
short uncluttered paragraphs work
best. You want to convey the most
information in the shortest period of
time.
Allison James Estates & Homes is work-
ing hard to provide a variety of solutions
to help make all of our virtual real estate
agent businesses a success. As I men-
tioned above, in the near future we hope
to provide AJI agents with an optional
branded website solution that adheres to
all ten items listed above at an easily
affordable price.
Bill Hogan works for Allison James Es-
tates and Homes, newsletter, website
and graphic design department. He also
provides website service for a variety of
businesses throughout the United
States. If you have any questions or
would like to request work done on your
current website, contact him at
A Brave New World Wide WebA Brave New World Wide Web
Optional Branded Website Solution Optional Branded Website Solution
Note: The website image below is a representation of a future template that Allison James & Homes is considering for its agents, which can be used as an optional, affordable, and effective marketing tool.
When Words are Not Enough By Carla Cross
How to Create Platinum Trust in a Tarnished
World
We real estate professionals like to talk. In fact,
many of us became agents because people told
us that, since we’re good talkers, we’d make
great salespeople! That’s an old idea today.
Why? Because consumers, are over-whelmed
with sales talk. We don’t just trust anyone be-
cause they have a good ‘sales spiel’.
California Realtor Study Shows Sobering
Results
Recently, the California Association of Realtors
did a study asking buyers to rate their overall
satisfaction with their agent. Here are the results:
Now, that’s enough to make you want to quit the
business. But, don’t draw that conclusion. In-
stead, I see this as a wonderful opportunity to
stand out. If consumers are rating most agents at
a measly 4% satisfaction rate, you can certainly
set yourself apart by taking the steps I’ll explain
here.
Evidence of this Distrustful Atmosphere:
Buyers and Sellers Stall on Decisions
Recently, I was in Albuquerque to do my presen-
tation for this emerging market, “From Lambs to
Lions: Take Charge of Your Business in Chal-
lenging Times”. As part of my regular pre-
conference survey, I found that agents are having
trouble getting buyers to make a decision—and
sellers to list their properties are a marketable
price. This is true across the US, not just in Albu-
querque, of course. What’s behind this indeci-
sion?
Low confidence in the economy—and lack of
trust in anyone leading consumers to an im-
portant decision
So, how do we create high trust in a market that
is so unpredictable that no one, in any business
(or personal life), has a crystal ball on the future?
There are several proven methods, and, here, I’ll
help you with one of them. Click here for more
ideas on creating high trust.
Take a Clue from the Medical Community
A few months ago, I came across a brilliant arti-
cle in our local Seattle paper describing how
doctors in a prestigious medical center here have
just adopted operation room checklists. This
simple measure lowered infections dramatically.
Now, it seems simplistic, doesn’t it, that highly
trained doctors and nurses need checklists for
things such as ‘wash your hands’? But, we all get
busy. We get stressed. Having checklists reduc-
es stress and increases confidence.
Not just for the doctors. Wouldn’t you feel
better if you were going into the operating
room, and saw that checklist posted on the
wall? And, in fact, one version of the check-
list is actually posted in a huge poster in the
operating room. Smart professionals in all
fields realize that visual evidence of credi-
bility is one of the strongest builders of
trust.
If Doctors Do This, Shouldn’t We?
The idea for professional checklists comes
from the book The Checklist Manifesto, by
Atul Gawande. If doctors and nurses can
increase their effectiveness with checklists,
I’ll bet we can, too—and dramatically in-
crease our clients’ trust in us.
I’m Seasoned: I Don’t Have to Prove
It…….
Certainly, if you’re working with a person
who already has high trust in you, credibility
‘foundations’ may not seem important to
you to use. In fact, I’ve managed agents
who bragged that they just told people what
to do—and they did it. Sometimes…But, the
problem is that the whole world has be-
come less trusting. So, even your ‘high
trust’ clients may not be as trusting as you
thought they were.
Is Your Service Predictable or
‘Creative’?
There’s nothing wrong with being creative.
I’m a musician, so I know all about creativi-
ty. Here’s the problem, though. Sometimes
we get creative when we should be predict-
able. We ‘fire from the hip’. The consumer
doesn’t want surprises. The consumer
wants you to do the operational part of your
job the same, professional way—every
time.
The Easy Way to Get Referrals. Putting the
strategy to work below assures that your
referral source communicates to that
‘stranger’ your professional approach. Just
‘trust me’ doesn’t make it in sales any-
more….
Tough, honest note to seasoned agents:
Unfortunately, I’ve found, from managing,
training, and coaching thousands of agents
(and managers), that refusing to work hard-
er at credibility is often just a cop-out. Don’t
let that be you! Wouldn’t it be advantageous
to you to create strong relationships with
more consumers, not just those who al-
ready have a high trust in you?
(Managers, I’m talking to you too: Do you
have that Book of Greatness available
that shows you put your actions where
your mouth is?)
Checklists: Your Systematic Tool
You may use checklists in your business.
They could include: New listing check-
list. After sales checklist, Processing
transactions checklist.
Tip: Make a list, right now, of the check-
lists and operations you regularly use.
Would someone who doesn’t know how
you work be impressed with your busi-
ness organization? You bet.
How to Show and Share Your Profes-
sionalism
Do you share with consumers how you
work? Do you show it visually, not just
verbally? A stunning statistic: We remem-
ber only 10% of what we heard three
days later. No wonder they’re always
asking us about what we said—or didn’t
say!
One way to share your checklists and
your operations is by creating a Profes-
sional Portfolio. Remember, it’s not about
you (think doctors). It’s about your cli-
ent—letting your client know he will have
a predictable, few- surprises transac-
tion—and that he can count on you to
professionally guide the transaction to
closing and beyond.
Tip on showing your checklists: Show a
completed checklist (it’s the ‘real’, not the
promise), and a blank checklist.
More ideas on creating high trust: Click
here. I’ve included a ’trust evaluator’ for
you.
A Simple, Effective Method to Double
your Credibility Factor
I hope I’ve convinced you to work hard at
sharing your credibility visually. Start with
your checklists.
Carla Cross, CRB, MA, is a former mas-
ter-level CRB instructor, popular interna-
tional speaker, National Realtor Educator
of the Year, and author of 6 books and 20
audio programs. Join her newsletter com-
munity and receive her complimentary
eBook, Getting to Yes: Ten Powerful
Tools to Bash those Barriers to Purchas-
ing Today. Learn more at
www.carlacross.com, or contact Carla at
425-392-6914.
IDX and Your Website by Tanya Spilchak
IDX (Internet Data eXchange) is about providing online visitors the ability to browse through all of the listings in an MLS system from partic-ipating members. But more than that, though, it provides a means of reach-ing potential buyers and turning them into leads and, hopefully, customers.
With over eighty percent of home buyers starting their real estate search online, getting in front of these prospective buyers on the Internet is more important than ever. The num-ber one thing that these buyers are looking for online? That’s right: list-ings. Show them listings and they are willing to stay on your website. Show them all the listings and they might never leave! IDX provides you with almost all of the listings for your particular MLS, which means not only can you showcase these listings in the area, but they are all branded with your contact details. This means not only giving those online visitors what they want, but also getting your name and phone number in front of hun-dreds to thousands more people.
Not only can those visitors see all of those listings with Point2 IDX, but they can also create a profile and save specific search results, houses that interest them, and be able to log into your IDX at any time to access this information.
Their specific contact details are tracked
within your Point2 Agent account and
their searches are emailed to you, so
that you have a better understanding of
their interests before contacting them to
do further needs analysis.
The ability to save searches gives those
online visitors a great incentive to keep
coming back to your site, which helps to
drive traffic to the website and helps
with search engine standings. Beyond
these search savers, you can also add
additional content around your IDX
solution relating to neighborhoods, your
business, the area, your brokerage,
almost any content that you wish to
share! Not only does this content pro-
vide more information for those online
buyers, but also again aids your Search
Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts,
which in turn have those search engines
find you more often, meaning that more
potential buyers will find you. It’s almost
cyclical in process.
Research into educational processes
shows that the majority of people are
visual learners. Ever see a face that
you’re sure you know, although the
name of the individual eludes you?
You’re a visual learner. You’ll remem-
ber things that you see over things that
you hear. Taking that to another level,
people who see and interact with what
they are learning are even more likely to
remember it.
To take your Point2 IDX solution to another
level, you can add the optional MapTracks
feature, which provides an interactive map
with the form-based search. Online visitors
can zoom and pan on the map, hover over
house icons to receive additional property
information, and search for information on
local amenities. Members who use Map-
Tracks have enjoyed twenty-five percent
more leads than members utilizing only the
form-based search.
IDX is all about getting information into the
hands of the eighty percent of the market
going online to find a home. With Point2
IDX, you are not only able to track those
online visitors who enter their information,
but also get a sense of their interests. More
importantly, you are providing specific and
relevant information to those online pro-
spects, giving them what they want, and
incentivizing them to contact you directly.
This means more traffic to your website,
more inquiries for your listings, and more
money in your pocket.
Tanya Spilchak, Education Coordinator,
Point2 Technologies, Inc.
Sometimes We Just Need to Laugh
By Ruthie Sousa
The Procrastinator's Creed
I believe that if anything is worth doing, it would have been done already.
I shall never move quickly, ex-cept to avoid more work or find excuses.
I will never rush into a job with-out a lifetime of consideration.
I shall meet all of my deadlines directly in proportion to the amount of bodily injury I could expect to receive from missing them.
I firmly believe that tomorrow holds the possibility for new technologies, astounding dis-coveries, and a reprieve from my obligations.
I truly believe that all deadlines are unreasonable regardless of the amount of time given.
I shall never forget that the probability of a miracle, though infinitesimally small, is not ex-actly zero.
If at first I don't succeed, there is always next year.
I shall always decide not to de-cide, unless of course I decide to change my mind.
I shall always begin, start, initi-ate, take the first step, and/or write the first word, when I get around to it.
I obey the law of inverse excus-es which demands that the greater the task to be done, the more insignificant the work that must be done prior to beginning the greater task.
I know that the work cycle is not plan-start-finish, but is wait-plan-plan.
I will never put off until tomor-row, what I can forget about forever.
REALTORS
CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR VIDEO!
For more information, call or email:
Ginger Crumbaugh
1-866-463-5780 Ext . 2
gcrumbaugh@al l ison james.net www.a l l ison jamesinc.com
12653 SW CR 769, Suite F
Lake Suzy, FL 34269
941-258-3326 ph
941-258-3664 fax
www.allisonjamesinc.com
Plan A: $2,950 / Per Year
Free E & O 1st Year
Plan B: $295 / Per Month
Free E & O 1st Year
Plan C: $35 / Per Month
$295 Transaction Fee